“...A boy was born in Vermont?”
The Duke of Vermont’s forehead was wrinkled horizontally, and his eyebrows were wrinkled vertically. His red hair, which had been messy due to stress and had been roughly swept back, fell down his wrinkled forehead.
Likewise, his red eyebrows were wrinkled so much that it was hard to believe that they could be like that, and his golden eyes flashed with a sharp glare.
It was as if he was about to burn the telegram sent by King Valquiterre with his gaze.
“A boy? What the...”
Irena’s eyes widened as she stood there, trembling.
“You mean the child born to Claudel is alive?”
“...King Valquiterre...”
The Duke of Vermont ground his teeth in shock.
“You’re fooling me! Are you trying to harm the bloodline of Vermont?”
“Father.”
“I served Oberon’s royal family with great respect, but now you dare to point your sword at Vermont without knowing your place.”
“King Valquiterre is not trustworthy. I’ve told you this many times.”
Irena tried to calm him down.
“It’s not a good idea to side with the King and attack Temnes.”
“Huh.”
“You should also consider Claudel’s position. I never thought that my father would do something like that to her.”
Irena took the Duke of Vermont’s hand.
“You’re a wise man, father. You always make the best judgment and choices for Vermont.”
Irena instinctively tried to become the sunshine of Valmonde.
In the closed castles of the cold and frozen land, it was easy for those who were huddled together like small animals in narrow caves during the long winter to become depressed or discouraged.
For the sake of her mother’s position, who had not given birth to a son, she had to act as if there was no problem with Vermont’s succession and that it was enough for her to take a husband and become the lord’s wife.
She did not live as a precious young lady, smiling brightly without thinking, laughing out loud without worrying about anything.
As a direct descendant of the Vermont family, as the true owner of Valmonde.
She was born that way, but it was close to an instinct that she would not see her mother treated as a criminal as a woman.
“For Vermont...”
Did her daughter’s earnest words touch his heart?
The Duke of Vermont, who chewed on her words as if he was chewing on the cud, calmed down and sat down again.
“Irena.”
“Yes.”
“Claudel said that she could not starve the people of the fiefdom.”
The Duke of Vermont said as if he was correcting her words that she had criticized him for going too far earlier.
“Herzol is seriously ill. It was a stroke of luck that they managed to get medicine from their fiefdom in Temnes. You should not think of me as if I drove her to her death.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Irena. How far would you go for Vermont?”
The Duke of Vermont’s question was abrupt.
“...Father?”
“Claudel was willing to sacrifice her life for the glory of Vermont.”
“I...”
“How much can you be sincere in protecting your family?”
Irena stared vaguely at the Duke of Vermont’s desk for a moment before raising her head.
“There is nothing I wouldn’t do for Vermont.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yes.”
Irena met the Duke of Vermont’s eyes as if asking him to trust her.
“Just as my father taught me.”
The Duke of Vermont nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
“With that kind of mindset, the successor I raised is more than enough.”
He told Irena.
“Remember. You must do whatever it takes to protect Valmonde.”
“Yes.”
“That’s enough. Go ahead.”
She stood up in a daze and began to speak again.
“The Sol Continent Mercenary Corps...”
“You just need to give me a little more money. I’ll take care of it, so go ahead.”
Just a moment ago, he kept repeating the same thing he said about wasting money, and it was chaos. When the Duke of Vermont became irritated as if everything was bothersome now, Irena was embarrassed.
'It would be better to avoid war at all costs.'
War was a power struggle.
No matter how much Temnes had decided to attack Vermont, it would have been difficult to overcome the military advantage when fighting Valmonde, which was drying up due to drought, when the royal family was tacitly neutral.
If they add the wild and ferocious Sol Continent mercenaries to the trained soldiers of the Oberon royal family, it would be a different story.
'It's such an important matter, but why does my father change his mind so often?'
Who said that a woman's heart is like a reed?
Likewise, his red eyebrows were wrinkled so much that it was hard to believe that they could be like that, and his golden eyes flashed with a sharp glare.
It was as if he was about to burn the telegram sent by King Valquiterre with his gaze.
“A boy? What the...”
Irena’s eyes widened as she stood there, trembling.
“You mean the child born to Claudel is alive?”
“...King Valquiterre...”
The Duke of Vermont ground his teeth in shock.
“You’re fooling me! Are you trying to harm the bloodline of Vermont?”
“Father.”
“I served Oberon’s royal family with great respect, but now you dare to point your sword at Vermont without knowing your place.”
“King Valquiterre is not trustworthy. I’ve told you this many times.”
Irena tried to calm him down.
“It’s not a good idea to side with the King and attack Temnes.”
“Huh.”
“You should also consider Claudel’s position. I never thought that my father would do something like that to her.”
Irena took the Duke of Vermont’s hand.
“You’re a wise man, father. You always make the best judgment and choices for Vermont.”
Irena instinctively tried to become the sunshine of Valmonde.
In the closed castles of the cold and frozen land, it was easy for those who were huddled together like small animals in narrow caves during the long winter to become depressed or discouraged.
For the sake of her mother’s position, who had not given birth to a son, she had to act as if there was no problem with Vermont’s succession and that it was enough for her to take a husband and become the lord’s wife.
She did not live as a precious young lady, smiling brightly without thinking, laughing out loud without worrying about anything.
As a direct descendant of the Vermont family, as the true owner of Valmonde.
She was born that way, but it was close to an instinct that she would not see her mother treated as a criminal as a woman.
“For Vermont...”
Did her daughter’s earnest words touch his heart?
The Duke of Vermont, who chewed on her words as if he was chewing on the cud, calmed down and sat down again.
“Irena.”
“Yes.”
“Claudel said that she could not starve the people of the fiefdom.”
The Duke of Vermont said as if he was correcting her words that she had criticized him for going too far earlier.
“Herzol is seriously ill. It was a stroke of luck that they managed to get medicine from their fiefdom in Temnes. You should not think of me as if I drove her to her death.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Irena. How far would you go for Vermont?”
The Duke of Vermont’s question was abrupt.
“...Father?”
“Claudel was willing to sacrifice her life for the glory of Vermont.”
“I...”
“How much can you be sincere in protecting your family?”
Irena stared vaguely at the Duke of Vermont’s desk for a moment before raising her head.
“There is nothing I wouldn’t do for Vermont.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yes.”
Irena met the Duke of Vermont’s eyes as if asking him to trust her.
“Just as my father taught me.”
The Duke of Vermont nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
“With that kind of mindset, the successor I raised is more than enough.”
He told Irena.
“Remember. You must do whatever it takes to protect Valmonde.”
“Yes.”
“That’s enough. Go ahead.”
She stood up in a daze and began to speak again.
“The Sol Continent Mercenary Corps...”
“You just need to give me a little more money. I’ll take care of it, so go ahead.”
Just a moment ago, he kept repeating the same thing he said about wasting money, and it was chaos. When the Duke of Vermont became irritated as if everything was bothersome now, Irena was embarrassed.
'It would be better to avoid war at all costs.'
War was a power struggle.
No matter how much Temnes had decided to attack Vermont, it would have been difficult to overcome the military advantage when fighting Valmonde, which was drying up due to drought, when the royal family was tacitly neutral.
If they add the wild and ferocious Sol Continent mercenaries to the trained soldiers of the Oberon royal family, it would be a different story.
'It's such an important matter, but why does my father change his mind so often?'
Who said that a woman's heart is like a reed?
Even the man who was called the King of the North, who controlled the future of a family, was as light as a snowflake that would fly away if his mind blew.
Irena wanted to hear a definite answer for Claudel's sake, but the conversation went off on a tangent, which was difficult.
"If we don't go to war, we don't have to call in mercenaries... "
"It's noisy. I want to gather my thoughts, so why don't you go out?"
Irena let out a small sigh at the attitude of the Duke of Vermont, who seemed to not want to talk about this matter any longer.
"Yes. Father."
"Ahem. Listen. Call the adjutant."
He immediately gave an order to the servant in the hallway through the open door as Irena left.
"I have to send a reply to that impudent King."
As she left the office and headed to her room, Irena pounded her stuffy forehead with her fist.
"Haa. The child is alive."
It was such a good thing. At the same time, it was a terrible thing that made her feel disillusioned with King Valquiterre.
“Isn’t that child his niece?”
Irena wanted to hear a definite answer for Claudel's sake, but the conversation went off on a tangent, which was difficult.
"If we don't go to war, we don't have to call in mercenaries... "
"It's noisy. I want to gather my thoughts, so why don't you go out?"
Irena let out a small sigh at the attitude of the Duke of Vermont, who seemed to not want to talk about this matter any longer.
"Yes. Father."
"Ahem. Listen. Call the adjutant."
He immediately gave an order to the servant in the hallway through the open door as Irena left.
"I have to send a reply to that impudent King."
As she left the office and headed to her room, Irena pounded her stuffy forehead with her fist.
"Haa. The child is alive."
It was such a good thing. At the same time, it was a terrible thing that made her feel disillusioned with King Valquiterre.
“Isn’t that child his niece?”
They were very close to each other, having the twin princesses as their mothers.
When Irena was born, the Princess had already married Rowen and given birth to Kaian, and her relationship with the royal family was too strong, so she was distancing herself from Vermont and Temnes was gaining power.
So how often must she have heard the Duke of Vermont’s anger at the Princess while growing up?
“I was so happy when Claudel said she was pregnant.”
Claudel and Irenaf were cousins, just like Kaian and Valquiterre. When Claudel disappeared while pregnant, Irena was so distressed that she thought she might have been wrong.
Her joy was short-lived when she heard that her younger sister was alive.
Claudel, who had lost her child and was wailing in grief, was like a chestnut. She thought of the chestnut inside being taken away, with only the thorny shell waiting to return to the soil.
The reason Claudel eventually changed her mind was because Kaian truly loved her.
Irena sincerely hoped that they would be happy while secretly sending Madame Cronach to steal Vermont's ship.
However, the thought of Valquiterre stealing the child while talking about marriage until Claudel was so ruined was so horrible that it made her shiver.
“He coveted Claudel from the beginning.”
To take a child from a mother who had a child and try to separate her from her husband.
“...Are men different?”
How could he do such a thing?
If they had grown up interacting so closely, then the relationship between him and Claudel wouldn’t have been so different.
“Anyway, it’s fortunate that my father doesn’t have any intention of sending me to the King.”
There was a reason why the Duke of Vermont put so much effort into purchasing mercenaries from the Sol Continent.
It was because it was harder for the Valmonde people to withdraw if they went to war themselves.
He was just pretending to do it moderately, but he decided to withdraw from the war due to communication problems with external mercenaries, and let the issue of her marriage with the King languish.
However, her father’s expression, which had been strangely insistent, kept lingering in her mind.
‘How far can you go to protect Vermont and the territory?’
The answer to the question that the Duke of Vermont had asked lingered in her mind.
The atmosphere in the capital was chaotic. There were many rumors that King Valquiterre would announce his marriage to the Vermont family at the royal ball to commemorate the founding of the nation. The news that the kingdom’s top groom was sold out caused a surge of noble ladies from all over the country, who did not want to accept the reality, and there were more participants than usual at the ball.
And yet, before their eyes, the Duke of Temnes fell to his sword instead of his wife.
“The King’s order has been revoked.”
“Vermont and Temnes are enemies. Didn’t they both want the marriage to be annulled?”
“They don’t seem to be enemies at all.”
There was an even more shocking fact.
After the night of the disastrous ball, which left everyone wondering, the second daughter of Vermont ran off with the Duke of Temnes in the middle of the night.
The capital was in an uproar because of this.
“Why was the royal order revoked?”
“This is really strange. What is going on?”
Valquiterre planned to cover up the rumor by announcing to the Duke of Vermont that his state marriage was not with Claudel but with Irena, but it was not enough to stop the scandal from spreading like wildfire.
“Then what? Is His Majesty lusting after the Duchess of Temnes?”
“His cousin’s wife?”
A scandal involving the young King and his powerful cousin, the Duke!
The kingdom of Oberon, which had been stable for three years after the war, was in turmoil.
Count Makie handed Valquiterre a telegram.
“A letter from the Duke of Vermont.”
Valquiterre, who had been sitting with an expressionless face, stared at him through his glassy eyes. The King, who used to have a gentle smile on his face most of the time, often had a cold and indifferent expression these days.
It was like looking at the Duke of Temnes.
Count Makie used to think that His Majesty Valquiterre and the Duke of Temnes were complete opposites, but these days, they really look alike, don’t they?
Those who came and went from the palace whispered.
“Well. Let’s see what the reply was.”
Valquiterre opened the telegram briskly, seeming a little interested.
“Haha. The baby in the red envelope is very effective.”
He laughed out loud, seeming very happy.
“What did the Duke of Vermont say?”
Count Makie asked curiously, and Valquiterre handed him the telegram as if to let him look at it himself.
“They say they will send Princess Irena to the capital as a potential Queen immediately.”
When Irena was born, the Princess had already married Rowen and given birth to Kaian, and her relationship with the royal family was too strong, so she was distancing herself from Vermont and Temnes was gaining power.
So how often must she have heard the Duke of Vermont’s anger at the Princess while growing up?
“I was so happy when Claudel said she was pregnant.”
Claudel and Irenaf were cousins, just like Kaian and Valquiterre. When Claudel disappeared while pregnant, Irena was so distressed that she thought she might have been wrong.
Her joy was short-lived when she heard that her younger sister was alive.
Claudel, who had lost her child and was wailing in grief, was like a chestnut. She thought of the chestnut inside being taken away, with only the thorny shell waiting to return to the soil.
The reason Claudel eventually changed her mind was because Kaian truly loved her.
Irena sincerely hoped that they would be happy while secretly sending Madame Cronach to steal Vermont's ship.
However, the thought of Valquiterre stealing the child while talking about marriage until Claudel was so ruined was so horrible that it made her shiver.
“He coveted Claudel from the beginning.”
To take a child from a mother who had a child and try to separate her from her husband.
“...Are men different?”
How could he do such a thing?
If they had grown up interacting so closely, then the relationship between him and Claudel wouldn’t have been so different.
“Anyway, it’s fortunate that my father doesn’t have any intention of sending me to the King.”
There was a reason why the Duke of Vermont put so much effort into purchasing mercenaries from the Sol Continent.
It was because it was harder for the Valmonde people to withdraw if they went to war themselves.
He was just pretending to do it moderately, but he decided to withdraw from the war due to communication problems with external mercenaries, and let the issue of her marriage with the King languish.
However, her father’s expression, which had been strangely insistent, kept lingering in her mind.
‘How far can you go to protect Vermont and the territory?’
The answer to the question that the Duke of Vermont had asked lingered in her mind.
***
The atmosphere in the capital was chaotic. There were many rumors that King Valquiterre would announce his marriage to the Vermont family at the royal ball to commemorate the founding of the nation. The news that the kingdom’s top groom was sold out caused a surge of noble ladies from all over the country, who did not want to accept the reality, and there were more participants than usual at the ball.
And yet, before their eyes, the Duke of Temnes fell to his sword instead of his wife.
“The King’s order has been revoked.”
“Vermont and Temnes are enemies. Didn’t they both want the marriage to be annulled?”
“They don’t seem to be enemies at all.”
There was an even more shocking fact.
After the night of the disastrous ball, which left everyone wondering, the second daughter of Vermont ran off with the Duke of Temnes in the middle of the night.
The capital was in an uproar because of this.
“Why was the royal order revoked?”
“This is really strange. What is going on?”
Valquiterre planned to cover up the rumor by announcing to the Duke of Vermont that his state marriage was not with Claudel but with Irena, but it was not enough to stop the scandal from spreading like wildfire.
“Then what? Is His Majesty lusting after the Duchess of Temnes?”
“His cousin’s wife?”
A scandal involving the young King and his powerful cousin, the Duke!
The kingdom of Oberon, which had been stable for three years after the war, was in turmoil.
Count Makie handed Valquiterre a telegram.
“A letter from the Duke of Vermont.”
Valquiterre, who had been sitting with an expressionless face, stared at him through his glassy eyes. The King, who used to have a gentle smile on his face most of the time, often had a cold and indifferent expression these days.
It was like looking at the Duke of Temnes.
Count Makie used to think that His Majesty Valquiterre and the Duke of Temnes were complete opposites, but these days, they really look alike, don’t they?
Those who came and went from the palace whispered.
“Well. Let’s see what the reply was.”
Valquiterre opened the telegram briskly, seeming a little interested.
“Haha. The baby in the red envelope is very effective.”
He laughed out loud, seeming very happy.
“What did the Duke of Vermont say?”
Count Makie asked curiously, and Valquiterre handed him the telegram as if to let him look at it himself.
“They say they will send Princess Irena to the capital as a potential Queen immediately.”
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